Running a Derro Encounter

[Dordledum]

Got an encounter with a group of Derro upcoming.

Derro :: d20srd.org

Kind of iffy how to play the insanity card.

Thinking about incorporating some of the insanity efects from the tables in the link below:

Sanity :: d20srd.org

It'll be 6-12 Derro in an openplanned area vs a party of 5 (average of 6th level, almost 7th level) PCs.

Thoughts?

 

[Samloyal23]

The Derro take sneaky to a whole new level, they will not fight in the open and will not charge at a group. Think traps, poison, and ambushes...

 

[anest1s]

If you follow the Table 6-9: Short-Term Temporary Insanity Effects for Derros inside combat, you will have a very fast encounter.

They have very few hp...if you don't ambush the players, they will probably be able to kill them easily. You can try to spread them around on the battlefield, or lower their numbers + raise their CR by 1 by adding 2 lvl warrior (this will give them +1 str or con, more hps, better BA, and you will be able to use better armor and get some potions).

Edit: Also, sneak attack won't work in darkness.

 

[Dordledum]

LoL, there will be an ambush or not depending on what the players do.

Situation sketch (what I expect to happen anyway):

The players will arrive on a small island after having escaped by rowboat from a tough combat encounter on a previous island. They're probably low on spells and hitpoints.

On this island they can spot from a distance: an abandoned camp, the entrance to the main dungeon (temple), and a small cave entrance (here be Derro).

They can choose to attack the Derro in the cave, enter the dungeon, or rest at the abandoned camp.

I expect the party to choose to rest, (they be cowards and like to rest after each encounter, I like to discourage them from that).

In that case they will be ambushed by the Derro (using repeating light crossbows with poison from the bushes), hilarity and combat ensue.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I'd imagine the crazy people attacking from unorthodox positions. Leaping down from trees (some staying in trees and sniping), opening premade covered trenches in the ground, hanging upside down from ceilings, etc.

Imagine walking towards the cave entrance and being stabbed in the face by a Derro than is swinging from a rope upside down attached to a stalactite.

 

[Empirate]

If you follow the Table 6-9: Short-Term Temporary Insanity Effects for Derros inside combat, you will have a very fast encounter.

They have very few hp...if you don't ambush the players, they will probably be able to kill them easily. You can try to spread them around on the battlefield, or lower their numbers + raise their CR by 1 by adding 2 lvl warrior (this will give them +1 str or con, more hps, better BA, and you will be able to use better armor and get some potions).

Edit: Also, sneak attack won't work in darkness.

Actually, giving them even one level of Warrior (or whatever class) raises their ability scores by quite a bit: instead of the standard array (10, 11, 10, 11, 10, 11), you're now using the Elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). This helps a bit, even in the HP department if you put a high number in Con.

If you want to play it extra-hardcore, add a single level or Warrior to all monsters ever. This not only results in +1 attack, +2 Fort save, weapon and armor proficiencies, and an additional die of HP. It also confers the elite array of ability scores, and standard NPC wealth. AND IT DOESN'T RAISE THE MONSTER'S CR. Cheesy, but if your PCs are rather optimized, or if they have a terrain/surprise/equipment advantage... you're challenging them more for the same XP, and it's still by the book!

 

[anest1s]

Actually, giving them even one level of Warrior (or whatever class) raises their ability scores by quite a bit: instead of the standard array (10, 11, 10, 11, 10, 11), you're now using the Elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). This helps a bit, even in the HP department if you put a high number in Con.

If you want to play it extra-hardcore, add a single level or Warrior to all monsters ever. This not only results in +1 attack, +2 Fort save, weapon and armor proficiencies, and an additional die of HP. It also confers the elite array of ability scores, and standard NPC wealth. AND IT DOESN'T RAISE THE MONSTER'S CR. Cheesy, but if your PCs are rather optimized, or if they have a terrain/surprise/equipment advantage... you're challenging them more for the same XP, and it's still by the book!

When adding class levels to a creature, you should give it typical ability scores appropriate for that class. Most creatures are built using the standard array of ability scores: 11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10, adjusted by racial modifiers. If you give a creature a PC class use the elite array of ability scores before racial adjustments: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. Creatures with NPC classes use the nonelite array of: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.

Otherwise, the elite array is a +1 CR by itself.

 

[Empirate]

Oh, right, Warrior doesn't work as well as I thought. Still, non-elite array is still better than standard array...

 

[Samloyal23]

They derro do not need to be tougher, just smarter. No head on attacks, just missiles, traps, backstabs... Indirect and sneaky is their forte.

 

[Dordledum]

They derro do not need to be tougher, just smarter. No head on attacks, just missiles, traps, backstabs... Indirect and sneaky is their forte.

This sounds about right, and I'm not necessarily lookingfor a live or die encounter.

They just barely survived/escaped one, killing off a Chuul, but being mangled by 2 others (one major NPC died and 2 PC's were at negative hitpoints).